Case Number 19583

OSS 117: LOST IN RIO

The Charge

Dolorès Kuleshov, explaining hippies: They want to make love, not
war. Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath: But both are possible. I've always done
both. So far, no complaints!

Opening Statement

Jean Bruce's OSS 117 spy novels predate Ian Fleming's James Bond by several
years. Serious-minded films of the former were made beginning in the late 1950s.
In 2006, the character was resurrected for the decidedly not serious-minded
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies. Now, the clueless, offensive OSS 117 --
aka Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath -- returns for more period hijinks in OSS
117: Lost in Rio.

Facts of the Case

The year is 1967. French secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath (Jean
Dujardin) -- code name OSS 117 -- is dispatched to Rio to buy a microfilm
listing French collaborators with the Nazis during World War II. Teamed up with
beautiful Mossad agent Dolorès Koulechov (Louise Monot), the thoroughly
incompetent Hubert must brave spies, Nazis and even a crocodile in order to
accomplish his mission and escape Rio with his life, all the while inadvertently
offending anyone he can.

The Evidence

The current OSS 117 films derive their humor largely from visual
gags/slapstick as well as Hubert's unknowingly bigoted and sexist worldview.
This served first installment Cairo, Nest of Spies well, and if this
blend isn't quite as effective for its sequel, Lost in Rio is nonetheless
an amusing romp, thanks largely to another stellar comic performance from Jean
Dujardin.

Lost in Rio has an amusing opening, where a split-screen credits
sequence depicts Hubert cavorting with a bevy of beauties in Gstaad,
Switzerland. Red Chinese gunsels ambush the group. A gunfight ensues in which
Hubert fires his pistol far more times than he should realistically be able to
without reloading, and without bothering to take any sort of cover from the men
who outnumber him. Of course, he escapes unscathed, as does the Countess he was
dancing with, although the gunmen and all the other women in the room are dead.
("It almost got bad," Hubert remarks.)

The series continues to get considerable mileage out of Hubert's idiocy,
such as when he visits the German embassy to obtain information about Nazis
hiding out in Rio:

Hubert: Would it be possible, if it exists, to consult a list of former
Nazis residing in Brazil? A club, an association? A Nazi guild? Embassy
employee: Germany is a democracy. In no way does the Embassy know the
whereabouts of Nazis. Hubert: Among fellow Germans? Embassy
employee: All Germans are not Nazis. Hubert: I've heard that theory.

When rescued from an ambush by a pair of Mossad agents, Hubert clearly is
not aware of the organization's existence, and he quickly offends his new
partner Dolorès by remarking how attractive a secretary he's been given.
Hubert spends much of the film spouting offensive remarks about Jews, women and
Asians. He even takes a few potshots at hippies, although he grudgingly admits,
"Those hippies are actually nice. Once you get past their
hygiene."

The physical comedy of Lost in Rio doesn't quite reach the heights of
its predecessor, but there are still some inspired bits. A scene where unseen
assailants fire at Hubert without ever hitting him is a highlight; another is an
absurdly slow chase through a hospital, where an ailing Hubert limps after his
similarly encumbered quarry. The film climaxes with a chase that leads to Rio's
Christ the Redeemer statue in a clear nod to Hitchcock. One shouldn't discount
the small things, either, like the way Hubert holds his gun, or a bizarre,
German-accented rendition of "The Girl from Ipanema" by a
black-uniformed Nazi.

Neither Cairo, Nest of Spies or its sequel would work as well as they
do without Jean Dujardin. Not only is the actor a great physical type for the
role (his profile is Connery-esque), but also he excels at conveying his
character's obliviousness to how much his behavior offends others. Not only is
the character of Hubert an attack on bigotry in general (and specifically on
attitudes during the less-enlightened time of the film), but co-writer/director
Michel Hazanavicius and co-writer Jean-François Halin also take shots at
their own country, such as when Dolorès asks, during an argument about what
constitutes a dictatorship, "What do you call a country with a military
leader, secret police, one TV station and censorship?" Hubert's response:
"I call that France, Miss. Not any France: De Gaulle's France."

A talented supporting cast backs Dujardin. Monot makes for an excellent foil
to Hubert, playing her "straight woman" role with assertiveness and
panache. Ken Samuels is a riot as a crude CIA agent who enjoys insulting an
unwitting Hubert in English, and last but not least, veteran actor Rüdiger
Vogler (Alice in the Cities) looks like he's having a blast playing chief
baddie Professor von Zimmel.

Also worth mentioning is Lost in Rio's period detail. From the
colorful costumes to the bouncy score, the film is steeped in a stereotypical
1960s look and feel. The filmmakers are blatant in their use of rear projection,
and the action sequences are appropriately corny and unrealistic.

Music Box Films' DVD of OSS 117: Lost in Rio looks and sounds very
good; the colors pop, and the exuberant score comes through nicely. For extras,
you get a trailer and a 24-minute making of featurette. If you can get past the
typo-ridden subtitles, this is a decent watch, with interviews with cast and
crew and lots of behind the scenes footage.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Unfortunately, the plot of Lost in Rio sometimes drags, especially
when compared to its predecessor. Also, the filmmakers seem to have ratcheted up
the cultural/ethnic insensitivity of Hubert at the expense of the physical
humor, the latter of which was in greater supply in Cairo, Nest of Spies.
Although some bits (such as those outlined in the Evidence) stand out, this
movie just isn't as funny as the first.

Closing Statement

Although OSS 117: Lost in Rio is a bit of a let down compared to its
predecessor, it's nonetheless a well-made and frequently funny spy spoof and
cultural satire, and is well worth checking out.